Boss: meaning, definitions and examples

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boss

[ bɒs ]

^{Context #1}

at work

A person who is in charge of a worker or organization.

Synonyms

director, manager, supervisor

Examples of usage

The boss was not happy with the team's performance.
She reported directly to the boss.

^{Context #2}

slang

A term used to refer to someone in authority or control.

Synonyms

authority figure, head honcho, leader

Examples of usage

He's the boss around here.
She's the boss of her own life.

^{Context #3}

slang

To dominate or be in control of a situation.

Synonyms

command, control, dominate

Examples of usage

She knows how to boss a room.
He likes to boss people around.

Translations

Translations of the word "boss" in other languages:

🇵🇹 chefe

patrão
líder

🇮🇳 बॉस

मालिक
प्रमुख

🇩🇪 Chef

Vorgesetzter
Leiter

🇮🇩 bos

atasan
pemimpin

🇺🇦 начальник

бос
керівник

🇵🇱 szef

przełożony
kierownik

🇯🇵 上司 (じょうし)

ボス
リーダー

🇫🇷 patron

chef
dirigeant

🇪🇸 jefe

patrón
líder

🇹🇷 patron

şef
lider

🇰🇷 상사

보스
리더

🇸🇦 رئيس

مدير
قائد

🇨🇿 šéf

nadřízený
vedoucí

🇸🇰 šéf

nadriadený
vedúci

🇨🇳 老板 (lǎobǎn)

主管 (zhǔguǎn)
领导 (lǐngdǎo)

🇸🇮 šef

nadrejeni
vodja

🇮🇸 yfirmaður

stjórnandi
foringi

🇰🇿 бастық

жетекші
басшы

🇬🇪 ბოსი

უფროსი
ლიდერი

🇦🇿 rəhbər

patron
lider

🇲🇽 jefe

patrón
líder

Word origin

The word 'boss' originated in the mid-19th century as a slang term in the United States. It is believed to have derived from the Dutch word 'baas', meaning master. Over time, 'boss' evolved to refer to a person in charge or in control of others. The term has since become widely used in various contexts to describe a person with authority or leadership qualities.